- Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp
- Marcia Gay Harden as Billie McCandless
- William Hurt as Walt McCandless
- Jena Malone as Carine McCandless
- Catherine Keener as Jan Burres
- Brian H. Dierker as Rainey
- Hal Holbrook as Ron Franz
- Kristen Stewart as Tracy Tatro
- Vince Vaughn as Wayne Westerberg
- Zach Galifianakis as Kevin
Full Answer
What happened to McCandless in Alexander Supertramp?
He burns what remains of his cash and assumes a new name: "Alexander Supertramp". In Northern California, McCandless encounters a hippie couple named Jan Burres and Rainey. Rainey tells McCandless about his failing relationship with Jan, which McCandless helps rekindle.
Who is the main character in into the wild?
Into the Wild Christopher McCandless, a.k.a. “Alexander Supertramp” or “Alex” — The protagonist of Into the Wild and the subject of Jon Krakauer’s investigative reporting. Compact, athletic, and serious, McCandless has a high IQ and reads voraciously.
Is Supertramp based on a true story?
It is an adaptation of the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name written by Jon Krakauer and tells the story of Christopher McCandless ("Alexander Supertramp "), a man who hiked across North America into the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990s.
Who is the director of the movie into the wild?
An eponymous 2007 film adaptation of Into the Wild, directed by Sean Penn with Emile Hirsch portraying McCandless, received a number of awards, including Best Picture from the American Film Institute. Ron Lamothe's documentary The Call of the Wild (2007) also covers McCandless's life story.
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What is the difference between Chris McCandless and Alexander Supertramp?
August 1992), also known by his pseudonym "Alexander Supertramp", was an American adventurer who sought an increasingly nomadic lifestyle as he grew up. McCandless is the subject of Into the Wild, a nonfiction book by Jon Krakauer that was later made into a full-length feature film.
Are there two versions of Into the Wild?
Into the Wild was released on March 4, 2008, on standard DVD, Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition DVD, and standard HD DVD. The special edition DVD and HD DVD contain two special features entitled The Story, The Characters and The Experience.
How much did Chris McCandless weigh?
67 poundsHis body, which weighed only 67 pounds (30.4 kg), was discovered by hunters on September 6. The cause of death was officially reported as starvation.
Who is the main character in Into the Wild?
Wayne WesterbergVince VaughnTracy TatroKristen StewartChristopher McCandlessEmile Hirsch, Bryce WaltersRon FranzHal HolbrookJan BurresCatherine KeenerGail BorahRobin MathewsInto the Wild/Characters
Where was Chris McCandless found dead?
Stampede Trail, AKChris McCandless / Place of deathThe Stampede Trail is a remote road and trail located in the Denali Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Wikipedia
How long was Chris McCandless in Alaska?
113 daysIn August 1992, Christopher McCandless died in an abandoned bus in the Alaska wilderness after living mostly on squirrels, birds, roots and seeds for 113 days. Hunters found his body weeks later. Alaska state coroners declared starvation as the cause of death.
What were Chris McCandless last words?
It was discovered that he died of starvation due to his inability to cross back over an overflowing river. His last known words were written on the back of a page from a book: “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!”
Is the magic bus still in Alaska?
Now the famous bus is settling into a new home at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, where it will be renovated and installed as an exhibition to immortalize it's many stories. “So the bus has a long a storied history, but unfortunately there were some tragedies associated with people trying to see the bus.
How much money did Chris McCandless give away?
Upon graduation from Emory University, McCandless donated his entire life savings, $24,000 to Oxfam America and embarked on an adventure to Alaska where he ultimately meets his fate.
Why does Westerberg go to jail?
Westerberg went to jail for building and selling black boxes which had illegally unscrambled satellite TV allowing people to watch encrypted cable without paying for it.
Who found Christopher McCandless?
Gordon Samel, 52, was killed on Sunday in an officer-initiated shooting surrounding a drunk-driving incident in Wasilla, Alaska. In 1992, Samel became a part of Alaskan folklore when he found the body of Chris McCandless while on a moose hunt near Denali National Park and Preserve.
Who helped Chris McCandless?
Jan Burres and Bob aided Chris by providing him with meals he desperately needed and giving him a place to stay. Jim Gallien was the last person to see Chris before he took his journey into the wild. He picked up McCandless outside of Fairbanks and drove him to Stampede Trail.
Who played McCandless in the movie?
An eponymous 2007 film adaptation of Into the Wild, directed by Sean Penn with Emile Hirsch portraying McCandless, received a number of awards, including Best Picture from the American Film Institute. Ron Lamothe 's documentary The Call of the Wild (2007) also covers McCandless's life story.
Who was Walt's sister?
He was the eldest child of Wilhelmina "Billie" McCandless (née Johnson) and Walter "Walt" McCandless, and had a younger sister Carine. McCandless also had six half-siblings from Walt's first marriage, who lived with their mother in California and later Denver, Colorado.
What is the poison in McCandless?
Krakauer also speculated that McCandless might have been poisoned by a toxic alkaloid called swainsonine, by ingesting seeds (from Hedysarum alpinum or Hedysarum mackenzii) containing the toxin, or possibly by a mold that grows on them ( Rhizoctonia leguminicola) when he put them damp into a plastic bag. Swainsonine inhibits metabolism of glycoproteins, which causes starvation despite ample caloric intake.
When did Krakauer publish his book into the Wild?
In January 1993 , Krakauer published an article about McCandless in that month's issue of Outside magazine. He had been assigned the story and had written it under a tight deadline. Inspired by the details of McCandless's story, Krakauer wrote the biographical book Into the Wild.
Where was Christopher McCandless's bus 142?
Born. Christopher Johnson McCandless. ( 1968-02-12) February 12, 1968. El Segundo, California, U.S. Died. c. August 1992 (aged 24) Stampede Trail, Alaska, U.S.
Who is Christopher McCandless?
Emory University. Christopher Johnson McCandless ( / məˈkændlɪs /; February 12, 1968 – c. August 1992), also known by his nickname Alexander Supertramp, was an American adventurer, who sought an increasingly nomadic lifestyle as he grew up. McCandless is the subject of Into the Wild, a nonfiction book by Jon Krakauer that was later made ...
Who is the companion in the movie McCandless?
To certain companions, including Wayne Westerberg and Ronald Franz, he relates his frustrations with his family and sometimes comes off as absentminded or aloof. To his family, however, McCandless appears selfish, impetuous, and impenetrable with more frequency.
Where did McCandless travel?
As he zigzagged first from Atlanta to California, then down to Mexico and then back up into Alaska, McCandless left behind him a trail of written material, especially photographs, graffiti, and postcards. His communications are sometimes wordy, sometimes terse.
Who takes McCandless's reading seriously?
Krakauer takes McCandless’s reading seriously, as the reader is clearly meant to, and relates the moments in which McCandless recorded a kind of religious ecstasy seriously, sometimes comparing him to a monk or other spiritual figure outright.
Storyline
Based on a true story. After graduating from Emory University, Christopher McCandless abandoned his possessions, gave his entire savings account to charity, and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters who shape his life. — Lisa Kelley
Did you know
Jim Gallien, the Alaskan who gave Chris the rubber boots in the opening scene, plays himself.
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What was the official certification given to Into the Wild (2007) in Japan?
Who sang the song "Into the Wild"?
Main article: Into the Wild (soundtrack) The songs on the soundtrack were performed by Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam, and Jerry Hannan. Vedder won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for the song " Guaranteed ". The score was written and performed by Michael Brook and Kaki King.
When was Into the Wild released?
Into the Wild was released on March 4, 2008, on standard DVD, Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition DVD, and standard HD DVD. The special edition DVD and HD DVD contain two special features entitled The Story, The Characters and The Experience. The Blu-ray Disc edition was released in France on July 16, 2008. The Blu-ray edition for the US was released on December 16, 2008.
Where is the bus that killed the Stampede?
The abandoned and decaying bus on the Stampede Trail where McCandless died became a pilgrimage destination for fans. It was located in Denali Borough, Alaska , 30 miles (50 km) from the nearest town. The bus was taken to the remote trail in the 1940s by a road crew, according to Denali Borough Mayor, Clay Walker. Visitors to the site had to cross the dangerous Teklanika River. In 2019 a newlywed Belarusian woman drowned trying to cross the swollen river on her way to the site. Another drowning took place in 2010. Five Italians were rescued in February 2020, with one suffering from severe frostbite, and a stranded Brazilian had to be rescued in April 2020. In total, 15 bus-related search and rescue operations for visitors were carried out between 2009 and 2017.
What did Franz teach McCandless?
Franz teaches McCandless the craft of leatherwork, resulting in the making of a belt that details McCandless' travels. After spending two months with Franz, McCandless decides to leave for Alaska, despite this upsetting Franz, who has become quite close to McCandless.
What is the average rating of Into the Wild?
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 83% of 200 reviews of the film were positive, with an average rating of 7.50/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "With his sturdy cast and confident direction, Sean Penn has turned a complex work of nonfiction like Into the Wild into an accessible and poignant character study." Metacritic assigned the film an average score of 73 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Where does McCandless go?
McCandless then travels on the Colorado River and, though told by park rangers that he may not kayak down the river without a license, ignores their warnings and paddles downriver until he eventually arrives in Mexico. There, his kayak is lost in a dust storm, and he crosses back into the United States on foot.
Where was the movie "The Stampede" filmed?
The Alaska scenes depicting the area around the abandoned bus on the Stampede Trail were filmed 50 miles (80 km) south of where McCandless actually died, in the tiny town of Cantwell. Filming at the actual bus would have been too remote for the technical demands of a movie shoot. A replica bus used in the movie is now a tourist attraction at a restaurant in Healy, Alaska.
Into The Wild
The unusual life of Alexander Supertramp (originally Christopher McCandless) was adapted into a book – Into The Wild by Jon Krakauker. The book is an expansion of Krauker’s 9000 word article “Death of an Innocent”, which appeared in the January 1993 issue of Outside.
He wanted realization
McCandless is one person. I am sure there are several others. Incidents unknown, untold, not reported. But the spirit of these unheard, unsung heroes are there.
Who is Wayne Westerberg?
Wayne Westerberg. — A well-intentioned operator of a grain outfit who assists McCandless early in his wanderings and becomes a close friend. Westerberg is a convicted felon who served a short sentence for a victimless crime involving the piracy of television signals.
Who is Christopher McCandless?
Christopher McCandless, a.k.a. “Alexander Supertramp” or “Alex”. — The protagonist of Into the Wild and the subject of Jon Krakauer’s investigative reporting. Compact, athletic, and serious, McCandless has a high IQ and reads voraciously. When he is young, he takes his father’s advice to excel in all his activities seriously, ...
Is Walt McCandless taciturn?
Walt is somewhat taciturn, and when he does communicate he is straightforward in a manner that leaves little room for politeness. Before he legally married Billie McCandless, Christopher’s mother, Walt McCandless maintained a relationship with his first wife, acting as the father and head of two families at once.
What is the movie into the wild about?
It is a moving story about a young man chasing after his dream and ultimate Alaskan adventure.
Where did Chris die in the Stampede?
Unfortunately, he paid the ultimate price for this in the end and was found perished in an abandoned Fairbanks City bus on the Stampede Trail in Alaska .

Overview
Christopher Johnson McCandless , also known by his pseudonym "Alexander Supertramp", was an American adventurer who sought an increasingly nomadic lifestyle as he grew up. McCandless is the subject of Into the Wild, a nonfiction book by Jon Krakauer that was later made into a full-length feature film.
After graduating from Emory University in Georgia in 1990, McCandless traveled …
Early life
Christopher Johnson McCandless was born in Inglewood, California and spent his early childhood in El Segundo, California. He was the eldest child of Wilhelmina Marie "Billie" McCandless (née Johnson) and Walter "Walt" McCandless, and had a younger sister named Carine. McCandless also had six half-siblings from Walt's first marriage, who lived with their mother in California and later in Denver, Colorado. In 1976, the family relocated to Annandale, Virginia, where McCandless'…
Personal life
McCandless held a particular interest in classic literature. According to Krakauer, some of his favorite writers were Jack London, Mark Twain, Leo Tolstoy and H. G. Wells. He was also heavily influenced by 19th-century American writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau and was engrossed by his essay On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. McCandless highlighted a section on chastity in Thoreau's Walden, which has raised questions regarding his sexuality. There is no indi…
Travels
McCandless left Virginia in the summer of 1990, driving a Datsun west in an apparent cross country trip to California. His car was not in good condition and suffered numerous breakdowns as he made his way out of the eastern United States. He also carried no car insurance on the vehicle and was driving with expired license plates. By the end of the summer, McCandless had reached the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where a flash flood disabled his car. Fearful of fines or pos…
Death
McCandless's final written journal entry, noted as "Day 107", simply read, "BEAUTIFUL BLUE BERRIES." Days 108 through 112 contained no words and were marked only with slashes, and on Day 113 there was no entry. The exact date and time of his death are unknown. Near the time of his death, McCandless took a picture of himself waving while holding a written note, which read:
I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANK THE LORD. GOODBYE AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!
Legacy
The converted green and white bus where McCandless lived and died became a well-known destination for hikers. Known as "The Magic Bus", the 1946 International Harvester was abandoned by road workers in 1961 on the Stampede Trail. A plaque in McCandless's memory was affixed to the interior by his father, Walt McCandless. McCandless's life became the subject of a number of articles, books, films, and documentaries, which helped elevate his life to the status of modern m…
Assessments
McCandless has been a polarizing figure since his story came to widespread public attention with the publication of Krakauer's January 1993 Outside article. While the author and many others have a sympathetic view of the young traveler, others, particularly Alaskans, have expressed negative views about McCandless and those who romanticize his fate.
Alaskan Park Ranger Peter Christian wrote:
In popular culture
Krakauer's approximately 9,000-word article "Death of an Innocent" (January 1993) was published in Outside. Chip Brown's full-length article on McCandless, "I Now Walk Into the Wild" (February 8, 1993), was published in The New Yorker. Jon Krakauer's non-fiction book Into the Wild (1996) expands upon his 1993 Outside article and retraces McCandless's travels leading up to the hiker's eventual death.
Overview
Into the Wild is a 2007 American biographical adventure drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Sean Penn. It is an adaptation of the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name written by Jon Krakauer and tells the story of Christopher McCandless ("Alexander Supertramp"), a man who hiked across North America into the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990s. The film stars Emile Hirsch as Mc…
Cast
• Emile Hirsch as Chris McCandless a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp
• Marcia Gay Harden as Billie McCandless
• William Hurt as Walt McCandless
• Jena Malone as Carine McCandless
Plot
In April 1992, Christopher McCandless arrives in a remote area called Healy, just north of Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Noting his unpreparedness, his driver gives him gumboots.
McCandless sets up camp in an abandoned city bus that he calls "The Magic Bus". He is content with the isolation, the beauty of nature, and the thrill of living off the land. He hunts with a .22 caliber rifle, reads books, and keeps a journal as he prepares his new life in the wild.
Production
The scenes of graduation from Emory University in the film were shot in late 2006 on the front lawn of Reed College. Some of the graduation scenes were also filmed during the actual Emory University graduation on May 15, 2006. The Alaska scenes depicting the area around the abandoned bus on the Stampede Trail were filmed 50 miles (80 km) south of where McCandless actually died, in the tiny town of Cantwell. Filming at the actual bus would have been too remote …
Release
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 83% of 200 reviews of the film were positive, with an average rating of 7.50/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "With his sturdy cast and confident direction, Sean Penn has turned a complex work of nonfiction like Into the Wild into an accessible and poignant character study." Metacritic assigned the film an average score of 73 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Soundtrack
The songs on the soundtrack were performed by Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam, and Jerry Hannan. Vedder won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for the song "Guaranteed". The score was written and performed by Michael Brook and Kaki King. The music at the end of the theatrical trailer is "Acts of Courage" by X-Ray Dog, a company that supplies music for many movie trailers. Eddie Vedder said whilst writing the songs on the album "I spent three days givin…
Aftermath
The abandoned and decaying bus on the Stampede Trail where McCandless died became a pilgrimage destination for fans. In the 1940s, a road crew had taken the bus to a remote trail in Denali Borough, Alaska, 30 miles (50 km) from the nearest town, according to Denali Borough Mayor, Clay Walker. Visitors had to cross the dangerous Teklanika River. In 2010, a Swiss woman drowned. In 2019, a newlywed Belarusian woman drowned in the swollen river on her way to th…
See also
• The Call of the Wild, a 2007 documentary about McCandless made by Ron Lamothe
• Grizzly Man, a 2005 documentary about a man who perished in the Alaskan wilderness at the mouth of a bear
• Wild, 2014 film about a woman's trek across the Pacific Crest Trail